The Second of July
by thishasbeenabanadoned
Summary: It's the second of July and Lily's birthday, but for some reason James seems to be ignoring her... What could be the cause of this anomoly?


**The Second of July**

It was the second of July. Yesterday it had been the day before the second of July. A week ago it was a week until the second of July. Hell, a month ago it was a month until the second of July. No matter how many times she denied it, how many times she pretended she didn't count down the days to it, Lily was excited about her birthday.

"Happy Birthday Lily!" said Lyra Mason, from the other side of the dorm. They were the first words she heard when she woke up on the second of July.

"Thanks," she said, "I hadn't even realised. I probably would have forgotten if you hadn't pointed it out to me."

Okay, she admitted, maybe that was a little over the top but whatever.

By this time everyone was awake, "Happy Birthday Lily!" they said rubbing the sleep from their eyes and looking for their respective hairbrushes.

Lyra grinned, "I wonder what Potter has in store for you?"

"Can't wait," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

But the truth was, she couldn't.

---

She didn't see James Potter until breakfast. Usually she'd bump into him in the common room, however it seemed every person she saw wanted to personally wish her a happy birthday and by the time she reached the portrait she'd missed him.

At breakfast he was sitting just a few seats away, talking with his friends and laughing like he would on any given morning. She put some toast on her plate, bracing herself for whatever surprise he was going to spring on her. She wondered what it would be, singing elves, a flock of doves, a bouquet of flowers that seemed more like a garden…

Nothing happened.

Lily spread some jam on her toast.

Nothing continued to happen.

Lily glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, he was laughing over something Sirius had said. It was as if he hadn't noticed her at all. Who knows, maybe he hadn't?

"Potter, could you pass me the pumpkin juice?"

James turned to look at her. _'Here it comes,'_ she thought.

"Sure," he said sliding the pumpkin juice across the table before turning back to his friends.

Lily tried not to look taken aback. She really did. According to Lyra it wasn't working.

---

The next time she saw James Potter it was Charms. Lily did an impressive job of acting like she normally did. James did an impressive job of doing the complete opposite.

When Professor Flitwick said they'd be practicing the latest charm they'd learned in pairs, the first thing James did was pair up with Sirius. She saw Remus raise his eyebrows and look slightly amused. Well, at least someone other than herself could see something was wrong with James. Usually it took at least ten minutes for Lily to get James to stop bugging her to be his partner and, on the one day of all days she might have considered perhaps saying yes, he was acting as if she wasn't even in the room.

Lily told herself she wasn't disappointed.

---

The sound of lunchtime filled the Great Hall. Lily sat with her friends at one end of the Gryffindor table whilst James sat at the other end, jinxing Snape's peas to fling themselves at other Slytherins.

"James Potter is a complete and utter _prat_." Lily said furiously.

"Oh, I don't know. I recon he can be really sweet," said Sara Charleston.

Lily glared at her.

"Er, I mean, you're absolutely right! The scoundrel!" she corrected herself.

Lily ignored the sarcastic undertones in that comment. "I mean honestly, how childish can you get? Food fights. You'd think he was six the way he acts."

"I actually think it's kind of funny." Lyra said giggling.

At the other end of the table came the sound of a certain prat's familiar laugh as Lucius Malfoy stood up and completely lost it at Snape.

All her so-called 'friends' burst out laughing. The traitors.

---

Nothing happened for the rest of the day. Nothing. At. All. Lily felt like an idiot for getting so worked up about something as silly as her birthday. She refused to let the thought that maybe she was upset because of James even contemplate entering her head.

---

It was nearly eleven and Lily was sitting in a corner of the library doodling on what was supposed to be her Astronomy essay. The only reason she'd come there was that James had been there and she wanted to see how long this phase would last. But James had gone to bed half an hour ago and all he'd said to her all day was "sure."

"Worst birthday _ever._" Lily said to herself forlornly turning her diagram of the constellations into a love heart.

"Why's that?" asked Lyra coming to sit next to her.

"Well," Lily paused; she wasn't sure what to say. Should she tell the truth? She would never live it down. Not in a million years.

"Come on," pressed Lyra, "whatever it is, you can tell me. I won't laugh or anything, promise."

"Its just…" Lily decided to get it over with as quickly as possibly, "it'snearlytheendofmybirthdayandJameshasn'tsaidmorehtanonewordtome."

Lyra blinked. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

"I said: it's nearly the end of my birthday and James hasn't said more than one word to me."

Lyra grinned but did not laugh; she never broke a promise, "So… does that mean you like him?"

Lily nodded. "Oh it's terrible! I'm never going to live this down you know? I've been saying I hate him for so long it just doesn't make sense for me to like him!"

"I think it makes perfect sense," Lyra said, she was still grinning for some reason.

"And you know what the worst part is? I know that there's no way on earth he likes me back."

Lyra's jaw dropped, "You're not _serious_?"

"What? Isn't it obvious? The only reason he's interested in me is because when he asks me out I say 'no.' I'm a challenge; he's never met a girl who said no to going out with him before. I bet that as soon as I agree to dating him he'll loose interest like that!" Lily snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Sometimes you amaze me with how thick you can be."

Lily looked scandalised, "Excuse me? Birthday girl!"

"Look," Lyra said, "Birthday girl or not, there is no way letting you sit here to overanalyse things is healthy for you. You're coming back to the common room with me."

"But… but I'm _studying_."

Lyra snorted, "Oh please, don't make me laugh."

---

Lily dragged her feet all the way to Gryffindor Tower, when they reached the portrait of the fat lady Lyra looked back at her before saying the password.

"Surprise."

The portrait swung open and Lily's jaw hit the floor.

The common room was decked out with streamers and balloons and white lilies. A banner was strung lopsidedly from the ceiling that read "Happy Birthday Lily!" in bold red lettering. The room rung with cries of "surprise!" and "happy birthday", and people gathered around a large teddy bear shaped chocolate cake that was sitting in the middle of a table piled with food.

Lily's face split into a huge smile as she walked into the room, Lyra was laughing like a maniac behind her.

---

Lily sat in front of the dying fire feeling happier than she had all day. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I hope you enjoyed the party I organised for you."

Lily looked up at James in surprise, "_You_ did this?"

"Happy Birthday," he said and it was better than if the whole world had said it simultaneously.

* * *

_A/N: This is a present for my wonderful friend Tiger-Cub684 on her birthday! Any reviewers should (cough)have to(cough) wish her a happy birthday!_

_PS. Sorry for any mistakes. I haven't really had time to proof read it properly, I wanted to get it in before midnight you see._


End file.
